Moon-Rise At Yellowstone Lake

“BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON, BY THE LIGHT OF A STAR THEY WALKED ALL NIGHT FROM NEAR TO FAR. I WOULD NEVER WALK, IF I COULD START MY CAR.”

My story is this:

I had waited for years to go back to Yellowstone National Park; I even have a map of it in my office that says, “When are you coming to see me?” I finally made it and to make it even better, I was there with my daughter Raven, whom I had shared this place with before and for the first time, my grandkids, Blaize and Phoenix.

There we were, at a magnificent geyser. Raven was not walking the pathway around the entrancing thermal features, oh no, she was dealing with her daughter and the incessant “I have to go potty.” When a 4 year old says that, you listen, so Raven usually only made it to 200 feet or so of the scenery before having to turn and go back. Did I mention there were hundreds of these trails?

Back to the truck, and it wouldn’t start. Uh oh. Hot, tired, hungry, in the middle of nowhere, and Phoenix has to go potty. Oh shit I thought, and perhaps literally. Raven paused to discuss the dying battery with the Universe, kind of like “say your prayers, wabbit.” The third time she turned it over was a charm, the engine started so we weren’t stuck-yet.

We drove 30 miles to ‘Fishing Bridge,’ a lovely spot that had a restaurant and gift shop. Everything was good until she tried the truck again. No go. Well, her frustration set in, as it was her vehicle and she was apparently taking it very personally.

Me? I was ecstatic! What a great place to break down! We had food and oh happy day, a gas station! You see, they are few and far between in this vast wonderland. My daughter’s frustration began to melt under my infectious enthusiasm for being stuck in this great spot. Imagine my delight when I found out that we happened to be at one of the rare repair facilities in the park. There was an extra charge of 30 dollars for calling the mechanic out after hours. Fantastic! While we waited in the shade of a pine tree, I got to play in the dirt with the grandkids. You haven’t really lived till you have made a dirt snowman.

The repairs were made and we were on our way with a new battery and heightened sense of gratitude. (P.S. We gave the guy a tip, gratitude should have a flow).

“Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.” What exactly is acceptance? It is the act of taking or receiving something offered, it can also be a favorable reception and approval.

When you choose to approach your life in this manner, acceptance becomes direct awareness of present experience and opens the way for a greater potential and higher perspective because that is what you are intending. That day, part of my perspective came from realizing we could have been stuck in the heat, very far from help, hence my joy at being stuck where we were. It can be hard to look at it that way when it is your primary responsibility to ‘fix’ what is going on, as was my daughter’s case. That is when a happy soul who obviously has no grasp of how dire your predicament is can come in handy. That day, it was my job to be oblivious to the vehicle and pay attention to everything else, which was very good indeed. I am sure I was borderline annoyingly cheerful, so I did use the kids and trees for cover after pointing out how much fun I was having, just in case she found a rock or something else to throw. Of course, if we had been stuck for 3 days with no food or water, that behavior would not be helpful or appropriate. Finding shelter, water and using my cigarette lighter for something useful, like a signal fire instead of a cigarette would be better. So, assessing a situation and then creating a positive atmosphere is important. Is someone around you having a hard time? Help them to lighten up by being “light” yourself (Emphasis on yourself).

On the drive back to our cabin, she spotted the full moon beginning to rise over a lake, the water shimmering in reflection. We stopped and walked to the edge of the water, standing in the crisp mountain air and breathed in the scent of pine as we watched in awe at this magnificent sight. Raven said, “We wouldn’t have seen this if we hadn’t been stuck.” It was a good reminder for me, for by this time I was getting tired and irritable and her energy brought me up, reciprocity in motion. It is a gift to be able to do this for each other, to just be grateful for being together where we were and even for the way we got there. Acceptance is a wonderful thing and so is lightening up. If you start being more aware of this you can be someone else’s light. Take yourself with a sense of humor, and then for God sakes share it!

Accepting the past is one of the hardest things to master but it holds a key to living your life today. Your past should be part of who you are without being a burden you have to bear. I will blend past and future, for in your mind they are the same thing. Do you make your present a problem, then a never ending issue? Why? Then it will become your past. It always has been and always will be an opportunity. Consider it your door of opportunity as it was mine on that wonderful dead battery day. Do you remember being stuck and the frustration? Of course you do, but today what part do you choose to play in the rest of the story?

All that time, the moon was going to rise in the most perfect place we ever could have imagined and we didn’t even know it. Talk about a perfect atmosphere. Have fun while you travel and remember enthusiasm is contagious! What are you waiting for? By the light of the moon, by the light of a star, go see if you can start your car. Dr. Seuss was a genius.

Love and Lighten Up, Kellina

Practice:

The starting of the car is a visual image for you to get your personal emotional engine fired up. One person’s dead battery is another person’s chance; take it!

This week pay attention to your friends or family when they are frustrated, and take this opportunity to do your stuff. Use your sense of humor (on yourself first) and then to help others lighten up.

Bye the way, now that I have told you my story for this week, I want to hear yours, so write it down and send it to me.